A visit to Arc'teryx in Munich: Why the outdoor brand distances itself from luxury and trends

Arc’teryx is on an expansion course. In recent weeks, two new stores were opened in Germany while New York City became home to the brand’s largest flagship to date. The strategy has been in place as direct sales continue to pay off, particularly in terms of the profitability of the parent company Amer Sports. However, the focus of the Canadian outdoor specialist is neither on success nor on conquering shopping streets, but on sustainability.

Sustainability at Arc’teryx is based in particular on ReBird. This is a concept for circularity developed by the brand itself, which offers a repair and washing service, among other things, and which, three years after its global launch, has now found its way into both the New York store, and its new openings in Germany.

In order to find out how the Canadian brand defines circularity and builds a bridge between luxury, fashion and the outdoors, FashionUnited visited the first Arc’teryx store in Munich, Germany, and spoke to Sven Radtke on site. The general manager EMEA also explains why Arc'teryx still has to do educational work after almost 35 years and why the brand prefers to sell one product instead of three.

You opened your first Arc’teryx store in Munich last month. Why is now the right time to move into the Bavarian capital?

Germany is one of the three largest outdoor markets alongside England and France and is therefore a key market for Arc’teryx. After opening a store in Berlin, Munich, with its proximity to the mountains, where many consumers also go for a day trip and do all kinds of sports, summer and winter, is the logical next step. Arc’teryx has also been represented in Munich for 15 years and we know that we have already won over loyal fans of the brand. A store of our own was always planned; in recent years it was just a matter of finding the right location to appeal to the right kind of consumer.

Now the time and location have come, on Theatinerstraße [a shopping street in Munich, ed.], to make an appearance and show ourselves with the complete brand. Of course, we also have large areas with retail partners, but in our own store we can now really show our complete range – and so much more, with ReBird and our community activations.

What makes Theatinerstraße the right location for Arc’teryx?

It is a premium retail location. We deliberately decided against the luxury location of Maximilianstraße, as well as against Kaufingerstraße, which tends to attract a broader consumer spectrum. There are many other outdoor brands positioned on Sendlinger Straße, but the location is developing differently than was thought some time ago. Our goal was to be visible as a brand, also to consumers and tourists who come to the city to go shopping. This awareness is given in Theatinerstraße.

So you are gradually distancing yourself from both luxury and other outdoor brands?

We don't have to position ourselves directly next to other outdoor brands. We can, but we don't have to. It is not the proximity that we are actively seeking, because we are actually looking for brands that stand for quality, for design. It can be textiles, but it can also be other brands that are more or less active in a design or quality environment. But consciously not luxury. We are not a luxury brand, but an outdoor brand; that's exactly where we want to position ourselves.

Speaking of positioning, trend topics such as Gorpcore have brought Arc’teryx into the focus of the fashion world in the past …

The bigger our footprint gets, the more we make sure that we communicate and define our core positioning more strongly. This also includes understanding where we come from and where we want to go. Of course, all customers are allowed to buy our products, but we would never position ourselves in fashion for the sake of Gorpcore or any other trend and advertise accordingly. Outdoor always comes first and you will never find an Arc’teryx product that doesn't have a specific destination. That's not our lifestyle.

And yet Arc’teryx has worked with major fashion brands in the past. How does that fit together?

We did two collaborations a few years ago, but we have basically said goodbye to that. Our collaborations with Jil Sander and Palace were very successful, but ultimately we want to exist in the market as an outdoor brand in the long term, and such capsules no longer fit into our concept. Today we prefer to work with local artists in small regions, whose creativity we then apply to our products. However, larger collaborations are no longer an issue for us and are not planned for the coming seasons either.

You just mentioned the destination as a lifestyle, but the Veilance line is designed for ‘urban hunters’.

Exactly, but it is important that Veilance is a capsule that has been around for over 15 years. This is not a new trend that we are following, but rather timeless products that are very technical and also fulfil a purpose – but for the urban area.

Generation Z and the changing demands of consumers are currently occupying the fashion world; to what extent do you feel this change in the outdoor sector?

We are very aware of the changing generations and must therefore continuously explain to consumers what technology means and, of course, how technically advanced and progressive Arc’teryx is – even after almost 35 years.

Customers don't necessarily understand how we manage to make our high-tech jackets so light; they take it for granted, but there's an incredible amount of innovation behind it. The next step is to teach them how to treat these technical products so that they can be used for as long as possible. That is also part of our guest experience, that our shop pros can not only sell the jacket, but also explain it.

What does Arc’teryx mean by ‘Guest Experience’?

Special attention is paid to asking customers what they plan to do with the piece, what sports they do and what demands they ultimately have on the product. This then results in more specific or more general products that function as a kind of all-rounder. And then, if perhaps two jackets are to be chosen from, it is about the difference in technology, because this often also explains the price point.

You just mentioned the price point. Do you feel the current reluctance to buy or are outdoor enthusiasts still willing to pay the corresponding prices?

Our products are premium and when we explain how they are made and where the difference is, consumers understand that too. Part of the concept is to show how long the product can be used – with our help. This includes, for example, explaining the ReBird concept and our ethos of sustainability and durability. We want someone to buy one product rather than a similar product three times.

And yet you are necessarily and constantly developing products further.

Absolutely, but circularity is an incredibly important part of our new product design. We always ask ourselves how we can make a product even more functional, technical and lighter, but also how we can make the product easier to repair. An important step is also to understand how we can manage to replace only one part – such as a panel – and then be able to use a jacket that is fully functional.

Does product development also include the use of more sustainable materials?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are still often found in technical outdoor products, are currently being criticised and in some countries a ban is even being considered.

Yes, that is part of the sustainability efforts. It has now been proven that PFAS are simply not good for the environment. In the meantime, we are switching to a new ePE membrane, but we are doing this step by step. And with the DWR treatment, with the sprays, it is also the case that they are now PFAS-free. However, it is not a hasty action, we do not change everything at once, but aim to have converted the entire collection by the end of 2025.

Does the quality of the products change without the controversial substances?

The industry is arguing about that, but I think change often scares people. With such changes, the will for sustainability often stops, but we believe in it and that's why we are taking this step, but also only because the product functionality and quality are guaranteed.

We started with certain Gore products and now, as the next launch in winter, our Gore-Pro products, which are being converted to ePE. But here, because the area of application is a little different, we want to make sure that the durability is also given. That's why we just gave it a little more time.

And as already mentioned, we don't want to completely change all collections in one season. But we ensure that both sustainability and durability are fully met. One without the other doesn't make sense at the end of the day if one thing has to be disposed of again after a year. Then there is nothing sustainable about it.

Speaking of circularity, you have set yourself the goal of working completely circularly by 2030.

Exactly, our goal by 2030 is full circularity. We ultimately want to return the products we sell. The ReBird concept already includes the concepts ReCare, ReGear and ReCut.

ReCut is about using leftover fabrics for small production runs. This means that we sell specially designed designs, for example with different panels made from leftover materials, in limited quantities. The project has already started in North America, but it has not yet reached Europe.

With ReGear, customers can return used products and receive a voucher in return. A product exchanged for a voucher is then processed by Arc’teryx and sold again as a single product as ReGear, but this programme is currently also limited to North America, as we have been offering ReGear there for longer.

In Munich, there is now also a repair centre on the lower floor of the store, where the ReBird programme is the focus. How have customers accepted the service so far?

We have been offering the repair service to our retail partners for years, but have only communicated this very little so far. In Munich, for example, customers could always go to a retail partner, such as Globetrotter, and send in a product as a gesture of goodwill. Now, with our own store, we can really show what ReBird and circularity stand for at Arc’teryx.

In the past few days, many customers have already handed in their jackets, whether for a wash, which is incredibly important for the life of the jacket, or a quick fix. Other things, i.e. larger repairs, we have sent to Switzerland. In Berlin, where we opened in May, the response is very similar, and in London, where we have had a station in Covent Garden since February, the response is incredible.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.DE. Translation via AI and edit by Rachel Douglass.